The Claude Code + Codex Commands Worth Knowing

Create the project instruction file the coding assistant should follow.

Use it when

Use it the first time you bring an existing project into Claude Code or Codex.

Example

/init

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Creates a CLAUDE.md guide.

Codex: Creates an AGENTS.md scaffold.

Ask for a step-by-step approach before the tool changes anything.

Use it when

Use it when the work has several parts, touches important files, or needs a decision before implementation.

Example

/plan add account deletion without changing the billing flow

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Set a concrete outcome for longer-running work.

Use it when

Use it when you want the agent to keep the finish line visible across several steps.

Example

/goal ship this site; preserve content, run tests, verify the production build

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Keeps working until the stated completion condition is met or cleared.

Codex: Keeps a persistent goal you can view, edit, pause, resume, or clear.

Condense a long session so the important context remains easier to work with.

Use it when

Use it when the conversation is getting long or the tool warns that context is running low.

Example

/compact

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Accepts optional focus instructions after the command.

Codex: Use the command by itself; current docs do not list inline focus instructions.

See what is using the current context window.

Use it when

Use it when Claude Code feels crowded and you want to understand what is taking up space.

Example

/context

Documented surfaces

Claude Code

Ask a quick side question without adding it to the main conversation.

Use it when

Use it when you need a small answer but do not want that detour taking up the active task's context.

Example

/btw what does this error code mean?

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Product notes

Claude Code: Opens an ephemeral side-question overlay.

Codex: Alias for /side in the CLI.

Show the session details, context usage, and environment information available on the current surface.

Use it when

Use it to confirm which session you are in and see the configuration, context, or rate-limit details that surface exposes.

Example

/status

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Shows version, model, account, and connectivity.

Codex: The CLI shows the active model, approval policy, writable roots, and token usage; the app and IDE show the chat ID, context usage, and rate limits.

Start a fresh conversation without leaving the current project.

Use it when

Use it when the next task should not inherit the current chat's context.

Example

/clear

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Product notes

Claude Code: Starts empty context and keeps the previous conversation available to resume.

Codex: Clears the terminal and starts a new chat.

Check available usage information and limits.

Use it when

Use it when you need to understand current account usage, limits, or an available reset option.

Example

/usage

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Product notes

Claude Code: Shows session cost, plan usage limits, and activity stats; supported plans also include feature breakdowns.

Codex: Shows daily, weekly, or cumulative token activity and, when available, lets you redeem an earned rate-limit reset.

View or change the model used for the current work.

Use it when

Use it when you want a faster model for a small task or a stronger model for harder reasoning.

Example

/model

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Can change and save the default model, depending on how it is invoked.

Codex: Chooses the active model and available reasoning effort for the chat.

Review or change what the assistant can do without asking first.

Use it when

Use it before sensitive work or when approval prompts are either too loose or too restrictive.

Example

/permissions

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Product notes

Claude Code: Manages allow, ask, and deny rules for tools.

Codex: Switches the session's approval and access profile.

Add a file to the conversation by typing part of its path.

Use it when

Use it when Codex needs a specific file and you do not want to paste its contents.

Example

/mention app/api/contact/route.ts

Documented surfaces

Codex CLI

Browse the reusable skills available in the current environment.

Use it when

Use it when a repeatable workflow may already have instructions or tools ready to use.

Example

/skills

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Inspect or manage Model Context Protocol connections.

Use it when

Use it when a connected tool is missing, disconnected, or needs authentication.

Example

/mcp

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Manages server state, reconnection, and OAuth.

Codex: Lists configured MCP tools and server details.

Review project memory files and Claude Code memory settings.

Use it when

Use it when persistent project guidance is missing, stale, or loading from the wrong place.

Example

/memory

Documented surfaces

Claude Code

Show the changes made in the working project.

Use it when

Use it before accepting, committing, or handing off code changes.

Example

/diff

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Ask the tool to inspect code changes for defects and risks.

Use it when

Use it after implementation and before you merge or deploy.

Example

/review

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Runs a fast, read-only review of a GitHub pull request.

Codex: Reviews local changes or compares them with a selected base branch.

Copy the latest completed response without selecting terminal text.

Use it when

Use it when you want to move a plan, answer, or code block into another document.

Example

/copy

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Reopen a previous coding session and continue from its saved context.

Use it when

Use it when you return to unfinished work instead of rebuilding the conversation from memory.

Example

/resume

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex CLI

Branch the current conversation so another direction can continue independently.

Use it when

Use it when you want to explore another approach without losing the current thread.

Example

/fork

Documented surfaces

Claude Code · Codex app · Codex CLI · Codex IDE

Product notes

Claude Code: Copies the conversation into a background session.

Codex: Copies a local chat into a new local chat.

View and manage background work in the current Claude Code session.

Use it when

Use it to check running shells and subagents without interrupting the main task.

Example

/tasks

Documented surfaces

Claude Code

Check background terminal processes and their recent output.

Use it when

Use it when a build, test, or server is still running in the background.

Example

/ps

Documented surfaces

Codex CLI

Product notes

Codex: The list may be empty unless Codex started a supported background terminal in the current session.

Return the conversation, the code, or both to an earlier checkpoint.

Use it when

Use it when a change or conversation turn took the project in the wrong direction.

Example

/rewind

Documented surfaces

Claude Code

Run a setup checkup and diagnose Claude Code configuration problems.

Use it when

Use it when installation, settings, plugins, skills, hooks, or permissions are behaving unexpectedly.

Example

/doctor

Documented surfaces

Claude Code

Product notes

Claude Code: Reports findings first and asks before applying fixes; claude doctor outside a session prints read-only installation diagnostics.